The repeal of Glass–Steagall is key (it happened during Clinton's era)... that is the key legistlation (introduced in the 1930s for the same reason) that kept the banking risk systemic from being systemic... without that, you could let the investment banks and speculators fail without exposing the commercial banks and people's deposites... but because it was repealed in the 90s, commercial & retail banks (deposite taking institutions) and investment banking and trading institutions were merged in the following years... putting depositor's funds at risk from speculation in the financial markets...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass%E2%80%93Steagall_legislation

@CheekyMonkey said:

The repeal of Glass–Steagall is key (it happened during Clinton's era)... that is the key legistlation (introduced in the 1930s for the same reason) that kept the banking risk systemic from being systemic... without that, you could let the investment banks and speculators fail without exposing the commercial banks and people's deposites... but because it was repealed in the 90s, commercial & retail banks (deposite taking institutions) and investment banking and trading institutions were merged in the following years... putting depositor's funds at risk from speculation in the financial markets...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass%E2%80%93Steagall_legislation

Interesting. Thanks for the info. But remember, the reason we had right wing democrats like Clinton was because of Reagan. And what he did with that old Overton Window. It would have been impossible to have an actual left wing democrat become president for quite a while after his legacy (and probably still is given the commie accusations the likes of Bernie Sanders gets). So it all stems from Ronald.

There's not anything to "fix". It's based on the aggregated scores of the users, currently based on 3,343 votes as of writings this. On imdb it is rated 7.5 based on over 200k votes. It's all subjective, and I don't get why you need your opinion validated by a score like this. While I am more than willing to give sci-fi flicks some leeway I have a gripe that certainly knocked the film down a few notches: In the beginning when Murphy is originally killed. He is not just killed or slaughtered - he is obliterated with I don't know how many shotgun shells. Plus he is shot through the head. Yet he is able to lie with eyes open, and we see him having flashbacks. I thought it a terrible way to set it up even within the frame of a sci-fi film. If they had just scaled his killing down a bit, and not shot him through his skull, it would've been a tad better, in my opinion. That aside, this film holds up incredibly well so many years after its release in terms of production value and cinematography. Except for the ED-209, of course, but they obviously had technical limitations back then. RoboCop himself was done exceptionally well for the time. Towards the end when one of the bad guys were drenched in toxic waste, that still looked great. Red Forman acted superb on top of that. :) All in all, a good one that still holds up today with a few "mehs".

Anyone who rates this less than 8/10 should explain themselves.

I'm not kidding, I really would like to know what their problems with this masterpiece are.

@DonGable said:

There's not anything to "fix". It's based on the aggregated scores of the users, currently based on 3,343 votes as of writings this. On imdb it is rated 7.5 based on over 200k votes. It's all subjective, and I don't get why you need your opinion validated by a score like this.

Early in TMDb's existence (or, at least, when I came aboard after IMDb shuttered its message boards), TMDb ratings generally were a smidge lower than IMDb's, and I chalked that up to more sober contemplative users here. I prefer the rating sensibilities here at TMDb.

This movie is currently hovering around 73%, which is terrific - and well-earned - for this kind of movie.

One of the aspects of his movie I really appreciate are the "commercials" in the movie. Smart, satirical, prescient, foreboding, hilarious...

Otherwise, yes, this movie had it all - action, comedy, emotion, drama. It was off-beat, edgy, dark, gritty, slick...and, for the most part, aged well (the way the hoodlums laughed maniacally got on my nerves a bit, but that's a small issue that in no way derails this film).

@DonGable said:

I have a gripe that certainly knocked the film down a few notches: In the beginning when Murphy is originally killed. He is not just killed or slaughtered - he is obliterated with I don't know how many shotgun shells. Plus he is shot through the head. Yet he is able to lie with eyes open, and we see him having flashbacks. I thought it a terrible way to set it up even within the frame of a sci-fi film. If they had just scaled his killing down a bit, and not shot him through his skull, it would've been a tad better, in my opinion.

This was mentioned on page 1 of this thread but it bears repeating because it’s such an important theme. Murphy’s death wasn’t just a murder, it was a crucifiction. He’s held down while "nails" (bullets) are driven through his hands and limbs, not to kill but to inflict the most severe pain a person can endure. Director Veerhoven talks about this in a Q&A session that’s on the DVD. Murphy is a Christ figure.

What he doesn’t talk about (perhaps wisely?) is the implication of this machine messiah Robocop. I suspect it’s more than just portraying Murphy/messiah as the savior of the world. As others have pointed out, he’s shockingly violent and unmerciful. I would add that this neo-Christ has lost all his humanity. He barely remembers his wife, kids or anything resembling the love he had in life. Perhaps this is the metaphor of being shot through the brain; all humanity is wiped out. “Christ” is resurrected but only as an empty shell, a tool of god’s wrath rather than the man who preached love.

It’s important to note that this interpretation, if correct, isn’t a literal slam against Christ. It’s Veerhoven’s way of portraying how the institution of Christianity may have strayed from actual humanity. By worshipping a supernatural figure who’s risen from the dead to mete out divine justice, the modern Christian risks losing touch with the fact that Christ was a man, full of humanity not wrath.

@pimpskitters said:

This is the best movie ever made. Many try to make a better one, I see their efforts. All failures. This is the best movie ever made.

No.